Today it’s 23 years ago that Koffi Olomide performed at Stade des Martyrs.
Background;
Back in the late 1990s and 2000s. Stade des Martyrs was for Congolese artists based in Kinshasa, a barometer to test their popularity, to show their superiority above rivals and confirm their succes. In february 1999, Koffi Olomidé would become the second solo-act after King Kester Emeneya to perform at Stade des Martyrs. The show was sadly a huge fiasco, because of the low attendance. Koffi would mocked by Zaiko (who he used to betittle for not having performed at Olympia and Zenith yet and being stuck at Roind Point Kimpwanza), King Kester Emeneya and a part of the press, with who he was a in war with. The fiasco at Stade des Martyrs would haunt him for years, despite the succes he would receive at Bercy and African countries. In meantime artists like Werrason and JB Mpiana would enjoy their succes there and other bands/artists wanting to plan their events there to.
There was a project to perform as first show after Bercy and the long Europe-Africa tour, but people were mourning the death of singer Dindo Yogo, which made the the project being paused and swifted to an event at l’Esplanade de Palais du Peuple, but known pastors arguing for a setting a date and Koffi just deciding to withdraw, not wanting any conflict with the war pastors and gospel-artists were going on against secular artist at that time, claiming that their music was satanic.
On June 9th, Junior Mac Kenro made Werrason at Stade des Martyrs. The huge succes of the show made him getting interested to also produce other artists there. In September 2001, it was written in newspapers that Junior Mac Kenro was about to produce JB Mpiana (as return-show after Bercy) and Koffi Olomide at Stade des Martyrs. However, JB Mpiana’s project didn’t go ahead, because of Junior Mac Kenro being close to Bracongo (Skol), while JB Mpiana had a contract with Bralima (Primus). The public was sceptical about Koffi’s project due to him not being that popular as JB Mpiana and Werrason at that time and having still that scenario of 1999 in their head. Just after the release of Effrakata, Koffi Olomidé confirmed that he would perform at Stade des Martyrs and even making a tv-appearance with Junior Mac Kenro. Junior then coming with two project, Werrason Double Stade des Martyrs in March 2002 (which finally wouldn’t taking place, because of Werrason changing his mind, wanting to focus 100% on the preparation of Double Zenith) and Koffi Olomidé at Stade des Martyrs on February 23th. Koffi’s concert date would finally get postponed to March 30th, because of Koffi receiving some contracts for African countries and him preferring to perform there first before arriving to Kinshasa.
Preparation;
Despite having signed a contract with Junior Mac Kenro, Koffi wasn’t believing that he would fill Stade des Martyrs. In the meantime, JB Mpiana with who he was beefing with, would set a record attendance of 135.000 (some sources claim even 200.000) at Stade des Martyrs and the press imposing Koffi to do better than JB Mpiana. After JB Mpiana’s show at Stade des Martyrs a sad incident took place, where JB-fanatics went to attack Koffi’s mother Mama Amy physically. To calm it down, Werrason went to visit Koffi’s mother and made his apologize on the behalf of Clan Wenge.
Knowing how important the role of fanclubs were for Wenge Musica 4x4, Wenge El Paris, Wenge BCBG, Wenge Maison Mère and Wenge Tonya Tonya, Junior Mac Kenro was busy by setting up new fanclubs for Koffi in all quaters/areas of Kinshasa even in places like Mikonga, Mpasa, Kinkole and Maluku, while Koffi was doing his shows in Europe and later Ivory Coast, etc. It was especially in the areas of Masina, N’djili, Kimbanseke and Kingasani ya Suka where the promotion was the most, knowing that Kinshasa’s biggest population comes from there and stealing Werra’s strategy.
When finally arriving in Kinshasa after 8 months abroad, Koffi Olomidé had still not peace at his mind. He was seeking for advice everywhere about the show at Stade des Martyrs. Then journalist Paulin Mukendi adviced him to get close to Werrason. Koffi Olomidé then contacted Werrason, to ask for support and them also making peace since that they were on cold for like two years, which many people didn’t knew. The following day, Koffi visited Werrason at Zamba Playa asking for support to the WMM-fanatics and both guys also having a parade around Kinshasa and fans following them.
To prepare the concert, Quartier Latin and Koffi would rehearse their show at Cinemax and them also meeting the newly recruited musicians, singers such as Assow Ngolé, Junior Kingombe, etc., who were recruited by Rocky Blanchard, after Koffi requested him to do so, since that he feared a mass-defection from musicians after a conflict during the tour, which got shorted very quickly. In the days before the show, Heritier and Bill Clinton even made a tv-appearance ordering fans to come for Koffi’s show at Stade des Martyrs and Werrason even renting some buses behind the scenes. Koffi had at some point difficulties to eat 4 days prior to the show. To remove the fear for Stade des Martyrs, Koffi performed with Quartier Latin at Masina a day before the show as a test.
Koffi Olomidé ended up by performing in a packed Stade des Martyrs. However, the public and press complained that the show was a huge deception, because of the songs not being well executed on live, Koffi being drunk throwing several shots to betitle his rivals and interrupting songs to play another within 1 minute.
Aftermath
After the show, some claimed that Koffi didn’t fill Stade des Martyrs and that people just entered for free. There were two theories. The first theory being that the stands were filled with those who paid their tickets and the public that were on the pitch just entered for free. The second theory being that everybody entered for free, which got adopted by Academia, JB Mpiana and Emeneya to attack Koffi Olomidé. Just after the show, concertpromoter Junior Mac Kenro expressed his frustration on tv saying that he lost his money and that his footage got stolen, claiming that Koffi said to him to just let people enter and that he would give him his money back, which according to him didn’t happen. Not long after that he disappeared and settled in Brazzaville for some weeks and releasing an unofficial version of the Stade des Martyrs-show. At the same time, Werrason was disappointed, since that he exception some recognition from Koffi through interviews or in the credits. Koffi didn’t give any comment on it and announced a tour around the areas of Kinshasa, to thank everybody for helping him fill Stade des Martyrs. In meantime, Koffi’s team released the official VHS of the Stade des Martyrs and them keeping promoting the Triple Olympia-event meant for june 28, 29 and 30th, which would get postponed for august and ending up by not taking place.
Koffi Olomidé’s show at Marché de la Liberté in Masina. Marché de la Liberte becoming at time one of the most important places in Congolese artists to weigh their popularity.
